1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protective barrier obtained by way of the juxtaposition and the articulated end-to-end connection of a plurality of separating elements.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
A particularly advantageous, albeit non-exclusive example of application of the barriers according to the invention is in the equipment of karting or motorcycle racetracks, or automobile speedways, for ensuring the safety of the competitors and spectators. Another interesting application is the delimiting or the separation of the road or highway traffic, parking areas, quays, airport runways, etc.
A separating or delimiting barrier for road traffic has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,413. The barrier comprises a plurality of separating elements formed of a hollow and empty body, having an oblong horizontal section. The elements are capable of containing a shock-absorbing volume of air and are connected end-to-end and linked to one another by way of two superposed flexible links that extend through them by passing through two superposed passages provided at each of the ends of the elements.
The flexible links are constituted by cables that are connected by shackles. The cables of a separating element are linked to the cables of a neighboring element by way of shackles hidden in the spacing between these elements. These cables can constitute dangerous sharp elements when a vehicle violently strikes the barrier and causes the fracture of a separating element, or when a vehicle strikes the barrier in the spacing between the two elements.
The separating barrier described in document FR 2 598 482 A is embodied in a similar manner and has the same disadvantages, with the added disadvantage that the separating elements are made of reinforced concrete and thus constitute themselves a source of danger for the vehicles that strike them. According to this document, each of the separating elements comprises a cylindro-convex end and a cylindro-concave end, the separating elements being connected and interlocked end-to-end by their cylindro-convex end and their cylindro-concave end which form an articulated interlocking or cylindrical articulation with the cylindro-concave end and with the cylindro-convex end, respectively, of neighboring separators.
A safety barrier is described in document FR A 2 425 503, which is constituted of a plurality of cylindrical modules arranged after one another and at a distance from one another, and linked by steel cables or ropes. These modules include a cylindrical, flexible armature formed by a stack of used tires covered by an outer coating and filled by a material such as cement, plaster or mortar (FR A 2 314 303, constituting the module itself) and cast within said armature. This barrier provides mediocre shock absorbing qualities, although they are better than those obtained with the barrier described in document FR A 2 598 484. Conversely, the use of steel cables or ropes to connect the modules to one another causes a serious danger for the occupants of the vehicles that strike these cables, the danger being increased by the spacing provided between the modules.
In view of their disadvantages outlined hereinabove, the barriers embodied according to the prior art documents are to be forbidden in certain applications, such as karting or motorcycle racetracks, or the like.
The invention overcomes the aforementioned disadvantage of the separating or delimiting barriers, resulting from the fact that the separating elements are connected to one another by one or more cables.
The person with ordinary skill in the art knows that a flexible strap or band can be used to link the separating elements of a protective or delimiting barrier for road traffic, as shown in the document WO 97/09485. However, according to this document, this barrier comprises either a single woven strap in transverse passages of the separating elements, or a series of looped straps each surrounding the ends of two separating elements connected end-to-end.
This mode of linking the separating elements does not make it possible to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the protective barriers described in documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,413 A, FR 2 598 484 A, and FR A 2 425 503.
The protective or delimiting barrier for road traffic described herein overcomes these disadvantages.
An important advantage of this barrier resides in the fact that the flexible and large links connecting the separating elements do not present any danger for the drivers of the vehicles that strike the barrier. Indeed, these flexible and large links act like crash barriers should the separating elements be spaced apart or smashed in, and they are themselves provided with a natural elasticity contributing to absorbing the impacts.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a protective or delimiting barrier for road traffic comprising a plurality of hollow separating elements, each of the separating elements comprising a cylindro-convex end and a cylindro-concave end, each of the separating elements being capable of containing a shock absorbing volume of air, a lower flexible member being one of a strap and a band, and extending through at least one separating element and into an adjacent separating element, an upper flexible member being one of a strap and a band, and extending through at least one separating element and into an adjacent separating element, whereby the upper flexible member is arranged above the lower flexible member, and the plurality of separating elements being connected end-to-end such that the cylindro-convex end of one separating element is disposed adjacent the cylindro-concave end of another separating element, wherein an articulation is formed between the cylindro-convex end of one separating element and the cylindro-concave end of an adjacent separating element.
At least one of the upper and lower flexible members may comprise synthetic fibers or textiles. The upper and lower flexible members may be one of arranged vertically one above the other and arranged one above the other on a substantially vertical plane. Each separating element may have a shape of an oblong horizontal section. At least one of the upper and the lower flexible members may comprise a width on the order of 50 mm. The cylindro-convex end and the cylindro-concave end of at least one separating element may comprise a diameter which is equal to a width of the at least one separating element. At least one of the separating elements may have a length L which is at least two times greater than a width I of the at least one separating element. The length may be two and a half times greater than the width of the at least one separating element. At least one of the separating elements may have a length L which is on the order of 100 cm, a width I which is on the order of 40 cm, and a height H which is on the order of 50 cm. At least one of the upper and the lower flexible members may be a continuous flexible member which extends through each of the separating elements in the plurality of separating elements.
The invention also provides for a protective or delimiting barrier for road traffic comprising a plurality of hollow separating elements, each of the separating elements comprising a cylindro-convex end and a cylindro-concave end. Each cylindro-convex end comprises at least one through opening, each cylindro-concave end comprises at least one through opening, the plurality of separating elements being arranged end-to-end such that the cylindro-convex end of one separating element is disposed adjacent the cylindro-concave end of another separating element. The at least one opening of the cylindro-convex end of one separating element is aligned with the at least one opening of the cylindro-concave end of an adjacent separating element, and at least one flexible member connecting at least one separating element with an adjacent separating element, whereby the at least one flexible member passes through the at least one opening of the cylindro-convex end and through the at least one opening of the cylindro-concave end, to form an articulation between the cylindro-convex end of one separating element and the cylindro-concave end of another separating element.
The at least one opening may comprise two openings and the at least one flexible member may comprise two flexible members. The at least one flexible member may comprise synthetic fibers or textiles. Each separating element may have a shape of an oblong horizontal section and wherein the at least one flexible member comprises a width on the order of 50 mm . The cylindro-convex end and the cylindro-concave end of at least one separating element may comprise a diameter which is equal to a width of the at least one separating element. At least one of the separating elements may have a length L which is at least two times greater than a width I of the at least one separating element. The at least one flexible member may be a continuous flexible member which extends through each of the separating elements in the plurality.
The invention further provides for a protective or delimiting barrier for road traffic comprising a plurality of hollow separating elements, each of the separating elements comprising a cylindro-convex end and a cylindro-concave end. Each cylindro-convex end comprises two through openings, each cylindro-concave end comprises two through openings. The plurality of separating elements are arranged end-to-end such that the cylindro-convex end of one separating element is disposed adjacent the cylindro-concave end of an adjacent separating element, whereby the two openings of the cylindro-convex end of one separating element are aligned with the two openings of the cylindro-concave end of an adjacent separating element, and two continuous flexible members connecting each of the separating elements in the plurality, whereby the two flexible members pass through each of the separating elements in the plurality, wherein an articulation is formed between each of the separating elements in the plurality.
The two openings and the two flexible members may be arranged one above the other and on a substantially vertical plane. Each separating element may comprise the same width and the cylindro-convex end and the cylindro-concave end of each separating element may comprise a diameter which is equal to a width of the separating elements.